Wildlife Center of Virginia Blog

Red-tail Tale

December 15, 2016

While working at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, I got the chance to see the progress of many patients. Some prognoses were happy; some were not. One of my favorites was a Red-Tailed Hawk, #15-1805. This bird had a stubborn streak and would often refuse to fly when being exercised. We would often have to persuade it to continue laps in the flight pen during exercise by using a pool noodle. The bird would also complain by making high-pitched, chirping noises that were cute rather than threatening. When #15-1805 did fly, you could see an obvious wing tilt to the right.

Post-Release Monitoring of Rehabilitated Raptors

December 14, 2016

During my three-month rehabilitation externship with the Wildlife Center of Virginia I have seen the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of many animals, including three Eastern Screech-owls, two Great Horned Owls, one Cooper’s Hawk, one Ruddy Duck, one Canada Goose, three Big Brown Bats, one Virginia Opossum, and one Mink ... and so many more releases are planned for the near future! All of this left me wondering what happens to these animals after they are released back into the wild? Do they make it out there on their own? Where do they go? What do they do?

Joining The Self-Releasers

August 29, 2016

After five years at the front desk, it is time for me to go. In my leaving, I join a special league of critters from the Wildlife Center whom have opted to leave us -- not from good health (the front door), not through death (the back door), but through a side door (when we are not looking). These are the cadre of “self-releasers.”

Farewell For Now

April 26, 2016

Where do I even begin? How do I cram into a blog post nearly three years of my life working at the Wildlife Center? Strangely these past few years seem like a long time, but also like time has moved at warp speed. One day I’m walking through the Center’s doors to begin a new adventure as an outreach coordinator, and the next I’m walking out and making my first steps toward a dream that I’ve had for a long time.

Knowledge is Power

April 12, 2016

One of the things that attracted me to the outreach externship was the focus on human-wildlife interactions. I’m interested in the ways humans interact with the natural world, especially when it comes to other animals. Interactions can be both positive and negative, and I think that one of the most important things we do at the Wildlife Center is give people the knowledge required to turn a potentially-negative interaction into a positive one.

C.A.R.I.N.G. about the Environment

March 17, 2016

The way humans interact with their environment has always interested me. I’ve spent much of my life living in a rural area, surrounded by trees and the sweet sounds of wildlife – from the all- night chirping of crickets, to the loud screams of the Eastern Screech-owl (like the Wildlife Center of Virginia’s Alex and Pignoli).

A Journey Back to the Wild

February 1, 2016

After graduating from University College Dublin in Ireland with a Zoology degree, the next step for me was searching for work experience in as many aspects of wildlife biology as possible. My post-college journey has begun with an externship at the Wildlife Center of Virginia. I found it to be a rewarding experience, as well as a challenging uphill climb (no, literally, the place is built on a slope!).

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